Flexible clamp-joint.



C. P. KLORER.

FLEXIBLE CLAMP JOINT.

I A'PPLIcATIoN FILED ocT. I2,I9I5.

151,217,960. Patented Mar. 6,1917.

narran s'rAfrEs PATENT onirica;

CHARLES IP. KLORER, OF EAST CONEMAUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQR OF TWO-THIRDS T0 JOSEPH E. ZANG, OF J'OHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA. I

FLEXIBLE 'CLAMP-JOINT.

T0` all whom t may concern Be it known that I CHAnLns P. KLonnR, aCitizen of the' Unitt( s...States, residing at East Conemaugh, in the)unty of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain newand useful Imj'irovements in Flexible Clamp-Joints, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to clamp joints and has as it's Yobject toprovide a clamp joint for use in connecting members which it is desiredshall be capable of numerous relative adjustments and which joint willpossess all of the advantages of the well known types of universaljoints without, however, possessing any of their disadvantages and whichwill -l'urther possess the advantage of being adjustable to positivelyand rigidly hold the members clamped thereby in any desired position ofrelative adjustment. One disadvantage possessed by clamp joints of this'general class is that they are liable to Work loose and are, therefore,incapable of rigidly holding the members which they clamp, at a desiredposition of relative adjustment, with any degree of certainty. While itis desirable that a yclamp joint of this class be capable of rigidly andsecurely holding the elements clamped thereby at any desired position ofadjustn'ient, it isalso desirable that the joint be so constructed thatit may be readily manipulated so as to' so slightly release the clampingpressure upon the said members as to permit of' them being readilyrelatively adjusted' without, however, releasing them in such manner asto permit of accidental or free relative movelnent of the members whichwould in all probability require that both members be held while makingthe required adjustment.

Briefly stated. the joint embodying the present invention comprisesassembled sets of clamping members and means for drawing the members ofeach set into clamping engagement with rods or the'like assembledtherewith and for drawing cooperating members of the two sets intomutual binding and frictiona-l engagement whereby toA Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented Mar. e, 1917.

- Application 1ed'0ctober'12, 1.915. Serial No. 55,491.

the frictional engagement between said.

members will be of such character as to positively prevent relativeangular movement of the sets of clamping members after the joint hasbeen fully tightened. The present invention contemplates providing for awedging as wellas a simple frictional engagement between the cooperatingmembers 0f the two sets of clamping members as distinguished from asimple rietional contact, for example, of two flat surfacesin ayconstruction of which latter type it is practically impossible to securethrough the medium of a hand manipulated nutor lthe like such firmfrictional contact between the friction surfaces as will positivelyinsure against disturbance of the adjustment.

In the accompanying drawings:

.Figure 1 is a perspective view of the joint embodying the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a 4vertical longitudinal sectional view therethrough,v therods clamped by the joint being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3 is a group perspective'view illustrating` thel parts oic theclamp disassembled.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the clamp illustrating a slightmodification in the structure thereof. j

As before stated the clamp joint embodying the present inventionincludes two sets of clamping members and means for drawing the membersof each set into clamping engagement with a rod assembled therewithwhich means serves also to cause frictional cooperation of a clampingmemberof'one set with a clamping member ot' the other set. The numeral lindicates in general one .of theclamping members of one of the sets andthis member is inthe form of a Acylindrical thimblc-closcd at one end asindicated at 2 and provided' in its wall at diametrically oppositepoint-s with openings 3 which are of a diameter to slidably and yetsnugly receive one ot' the rods to be supported by the clamp, this rodbeing indicated by the reference character A. At its end opposite itsclosed end the thimble 1 has its wall increased in thickness asindicated at 4 and the said thimble at its said end is exteriorly andinteriorly {iai-ed as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. Theinterior iiared surface is indicated by the numeral o and this surfaceconstitutes a friction surface as will be. presently more fullexplained. The other member of this set is in the nature Aof lid VZit

tably lit Within the thimble 1 andthe lWallof the thimble 6 is formed atdiammetricallyy V opposite points with openings 7 which openings are ofa diameter slightly greater than -v that of the openings 3 in thethiinble 1. rlhe 'thiinble 6 is preferably open at both ends and thatend of the thimble 6 which is located next adjacent the iared end 4 of'the thimble 1, when the thimblesy are assembled, is formed withanannular inwardly projecting" flange 8. The thimble 6 is lfurther of'such length that when fitted within the thimble 1 and the rod A. isinserted through the openings 3 and 7 in the two tliimbles, theengagement of the walls of the openings Z with the rod will'prevent theflanged end 8 of thev thimble 6 moving an appreciabledistance into theflaredfend of the thimble 1 so that a member to be 'presently describedand designed to cooperate with the friction surface 5 may be permittedto freely enter the flared end of the thirnble 1 Without intei-ferenceonl the part of the flanged end of the thiinble 6. At this pointjit willbe understood, 'and particularly by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings,that when the rod il; has been inserted through the openings 3 and` 7and the thimble 6 is moved in a di-A rection as if to Withdraw it fromthe thimble 1, the walls of the openings 3 and 7 will irinlyandfrictiona-lly engage the surface of the said rod for the purpose ofholding the same against longitudinal movement after 'it has beenlongitudinally adjusted through the openings.

The numerals 9 and 10 indicate the inembers comprising the other set ofclamping members and each of these members is in the form of an annulusas will be observed by `reference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings.

The member 9 is interiorly cylindrical but from substantially its middleto one end it is eXteriorl-y conical so as to provide an exteriorfriction surface 11 having a taper corresponding to the flare' of thesurfacel.

The member 9 at its other end is formed ing to they notches 12 anddesigned to ern-- brace the other side of the said rod B. Ho'wever, thewalls olithe notches 12 and l3'have anhangular extent of slightly lessthan a semi-circle so that when the clamping inembers 9 and 10 areassembled about the rod B their ends in which the notches are formedwill be spaced apart so that there will be no interference with thedesired neiaeeo V The means for drawing the clamping 4members intoclamping engagement with the rods A and B and for itrictionally bind-.ing a member of each set et 'the clamping imembers includes a bolt anclamping "l ie bolt cornnut threaded to the bolt.

prises 4a body le which cvlindrical and- :t'orined at preferably solidand this be y is one end with a circuni ribing flange 'l5 etsubstantially the saine wixith the 8.

In assembling the bolt with the other parts of the structure the bolt isirstinseited through the opening surrounded by the flange 3 with o theflange 15 engaging behind the said flange 8 in the manner shown in Figs.2 and 3 ci the drawings, this engagement being such that the bolt mayhave rotative i'nffir'einent relative to the thimble 6. The bolt at theopposite end of its body is reduced and threaded as indicated at 16 andthe body of the bolt is formed -with a` diametrically extendingelliptical opening 1l'y at a point be tween its flanged end 15 andthreaded 16. The opening 17 at its minor axis is pw erablyof a diametersubstantially the saine as the diameter of the rod l and7 et course, atits major axis it is ot a diameter greatfvr than the diameter et thesaid rod ll. the bolt has been assembled with the thiin 5 and thethiinble has been litted within the lli ' thiinble 1, the clampingmember il islitted to the body of the bolt with its tapered end fit tingwithin the flared end 5 egt the i thimble 1. The rod B is then insertethrough the opening 17 in the bolt wit side of the rod embraced by thewalls r 1 opening 12. The clampingl member l i vthen litted to the boltso that the walls .n

its notches 13 will embrace the other side et -the rod B and there isthen threaded on to the' end 16` of thevbolt a hand nut compris ing theusual head 18 and handle 19, lieadoip the nut having' a dat tace 20designed to bear against the end of the mem bei' 10 opposite the end inwhich the notches 13 are termed. desired, the nut shown in Figs. 1 and 2may be replaced by a. wing nut 21 as illustrated in Fig. oit' thedrawings.

lnasinuch as the opening 17 at its major axis is of a diameter greaterthan the diameter of' the rod B the wall of the opening at the ends ofthis axis will be out of registration with the walls of the notches 12and 13,'in the clamping members 9 and 10 and consequently the bolt'rnayhave lon gitudinal play without the said portions of the wall et itsopening 1^? coming in contact with the rod B.

It will now be under-steed that with the parts assembled as abovestated, the hand nut may be tightened whereupon the bolt 1l will bedrawn longitudinally moving with it the clamping thimble 6 so that thewalls of Leit/,eee

the openings 7 will bind against one side of the rod A and the rod willbe brought into binding engagement at its other side against the wallsof the openings 3. Also, inasmuch as the hand nut bears against theclamping` member 10 this member Will be forced into snug frictionalengagement against one side of the rod B and the rod Will be forced intofirm engagement at its 'other'side against the Walls of the notches inthe clamping member 9 thereby forcing the member 9 in the direction ofthe thimble l and causing its conical friction surface l1 tov Seatfirmly against the ared friction surfaces 5 of the said thimble hl andinasmuch as the member 9 is exteriorly conical` and the thimble l isinteriorly flared at its end Which receives the said member 9, theengagement between these parts Will be in the nature of a Wedgingengagement as well as a frictionalv vone as,

clearly distinguished from a simple frictional engagement such as mightbe had between two vfiat or plane surfaces. l

lt will be further understood from thel foregoing description of theinvention that although when the hand nut is tightened the parts '9 andt are drawn into such firmfrictional and wedging engagement that theadjustment cannot be disturbed even where great force is used, byslightly loosening the hand nut the rods A and B may be independentlyrotatably adjusted, independently longitudinally adjusted, andrelatively angularly adjusted, although not released from clampingaction to such an extent as to allow vthem to accidentally move relativeto each other while being adjusted.

The rods A and B are here illustrated as devoid of connection with anyspecified element to be supported inasmuch as the joint may be employedfor numerous purposes and is not limited to any particular manner ofuse. F or example, one of the rods might Having thus described theinvention, 4what is claimed as new is: l ln a joint of the classdescribed, an outer member perforated for the passage of a supportingelement and provided at one end 'With-a tiare provlding a conicalbearing.

surface, an inner member 'slidably fitted within the outer-memberfandcorrespondingly perforated for the passage of said supporting element, abolt having swivel engagement with the inner member, an annular clampingmember through which the 1 said bolt passes', the said clamping memberbeing provided with an exteriorly tapered end provided with a conicalbearing surface, the said end of the clampinglmember being fittedIsnugly and frictionally Within the iiare of the said outer memberfanannular clamping member coacting With the iirst mentioned clampingAmember, and a"nut engaging the threaded end of the bolt and arrangedwhen tightened' to engage the lastl mentioned. clamping member wherebyto force the annular clamping member toward each other and shift theinner clamping member with relation to the outer clamping I,member andsimultaneously to forcethe tar-pered end ofthe first mentioned annu arclamping member into the iare ofthe said outer member. j

In testimony whereof, I ah'iX my signature.

CHARLES P. KLORER. [as]

